About Me

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Kids! Don't Try This At Home

.

On those rare occasions when I teach writing, I'm sure to be asked, "What's your technique for writing?"

And my answer is invariably, "Oh, you don't want to do it my way."

I spent yesterday writing and at the end of it printed out what I had so far on a story I was rash enough to promise would be ready by the first of June. Which means that it has to be ready by the 20th of May, because I leave for Ekaterinburg, Russia on the 21st. Except that I'm one of the presenters at the Nebula Awards banquet on the 19th, so . . .

So, anyway, after I printed out the story, I went over it adding incidents, dialogue, description, and pertinent notes. Up above is one page. I spent all morning incorporating those changes into the text and expanding upon them.

It would have been a lot easier if only I could read my handwriting.

And for those who are curious . . .

The typed (*) means there's a gap in the plot I have to go back and fill in. The circled numeral one means there's a paragraph on the back of the sheet to add to the story. The three uncircled asterisks indicate a line break. The single circled asterisks indicate added text and the place where it goes. The three circled asterisks are to draw my attention to something important. I forget what the handwritten (!) means. Probably that a crucial scene has to be inserted there.

Like I said: You don't want to do it my way.

The story I'm working on is called "The She-Wolf's Hidden Grin." To be published maybe late this year, early next? It'll be interesting to see how much of the typed prose survives to the final version.